News Cuttings
Kudsk named 2012 IADC Contractor of the Year
Maersk Drilling vice president and senior technical advisor Gregers Kudsk was named the 2012 IADC Contractor of the Year at the association’s Annual General Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., on 9 November 2012. The peer-selected award is in its 25th year.
With a background in mechanical engineering, Mr Kudsk joined Maersk Drilling in 1973 and has focused on offshore structures and drilling technologies during his career.
In accepting his award, Mr Kudsk thanked Maersk management and colleagues “for allowing me to spend my whole working life in an interesting environment.”
He also thanked IADC, his many friends and colleagues throughout the industry, as well as his wife, Lene.
Click here to watch an exclusive video interview with Gregers Kudsk.
Espeland, O’Shaughnessy receive IADC Exemplary Service Awards
IADC recognized Niels Espeland, president of international operations for Precision Drilling, and Pat O’Shaughnessy, adviser to the chairman at United Gulf Energy Resources, with Exemplary Service Awards at the 2012 IADC Critical Issues Middle East Conference and Exhibition in Dubai on 4 December.
Throughout Mr Espeland’s more than 35-year career, he has managed onshore and offshore operations in Latin America, Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. He joined Precision Drilling in 2011 and was recognized for his service on the IADC Executive Committee from 2010 to 2012.
Mr O’Shaughnessy began his career in 1965 on drilling rigs in West Australia and spent the next 27 years managing offshore and onshore operations in various locations around the world.
In 1992, he joined National Drilling and Services Company in Oman as group general manager before becoming adviser to the chairman for United Gulf Energy Resources.
Mr O’Shaughnessy was recognized for his longtime leadership and service with IADC. He previously served as vice chairman of Oman for the Southern Arabia Peninsular Chapter and has been a member of the program committee for the Critical Issues Middle East conferences and Well Control Middle East conferences.
DC photo receives BMA Lantern Award
The Business Marketing Association (BMA) of Houston awarded Drilling Contractor the 2012 Lantern Award for Best Original Photography on 29 November. Brian C. Parks, IADC creative director, and Mike Killalea, IADC group vice president/publisher, accepted BMA’s top honor on behalf of IADC and Drilling Contractor.
The winning photo, titled “Shine on, Winter Sun,” was taken by Mr Parks on the North Slope of Alaska and used as the cover image for DC’s 2012 Media Kit and in various editorial pieces.
DC won a Lantern Award in 2007 for Best Magazine and has received multiple Awards of Excellence for editorial and design in previous years.
Andersson, Hannegan, Al Hussain recognized for IADC service at 2012 Annual General Meeting
IADC recognized three longtime association supporters and industry veterans – Goran Andersson, Chevron, Don Hannegan, Weatherford, and Zuhair Al Hussain, Saudi Aramco – with Exemplary Service Awards at the 2012 IADC Annual General Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., on 8 November.
The first Exemplary Service Award was given to Mr Andersson, drilling and completions manager for Chevron, who previously led the Chevron drilling and completion training center in Houston, including the company’s global well control training program. IADC recognized his leadership of the IADC Well Control Committee and the WellCAP Curriculum Subcommittee, contributing significantly to strengthening WellCAP’s curriculum.
The second IADC Exemplary Service Award went to Mr Hannegan, Weatherford strategic technology development manager for MPD, who was recognized by IADC for his leadership on the Underbalanced Operations and Managed Pressure Drilling Committee, a group of which he is also a charter member. He is also the author of numerous technical papers and a prolific inventor of enabling equipment and methods that reduce the loss of well control.
The third Exemplary Service Award was given to Mr Al Hussain, vice president of Saudi Aramco’s Drilling and Workover group, who oversees the company’s drilling and workover engineering and operational activities covering exploratory development, delineation and injection gas, oil and water wells both onshore and offshore. He was recognized by IADC as a founder and former chair of the IADC Northern Arabian Gulf Chapter and for his previous service on the IADC Executive Committee.
